Monthly Archives: October 2011

Al Hashr 59: 23
He is Allah whom here is La Ilaha illa Huwa the king, The Holy, the one free from All defects…

Allah is free from all form of defects.
He has no equal and nothing resemble Him.
His attributes are perfect. Human beings are never perfect.
The perfection of the Prophet and Messengers are in relative to other people. They have defects like the need to sleep, eat and drink. And Allah is free from all the wants of human.

Allah has no wife nor children.
he has no equal and counterpart.
He is free from death, slumber or sleep.
His Power is free from fatigue.
his Knowledge is free from ignorance or forgetfullness.
His Will is free from going astray.

His Words are free from lying and wrongdoing.It is Perfect with truth and justice.
His Richness is free from need of others. Every thing and person needs Him though.

His Forgiveness and patience are free from need or humiliation.
His Torture, revenge and severe Punishment are free from wrongdoing and oppression. they reflect His pure Wisdom and Justice

His Giving is free from being in need or in return for something.
It is free from stinginess and hypocrisy.
His Giving is Pure Goodness and kindness.
His withholding of things is real justice and wisdom, and does not imply stinginess or inability.

Allah’s Ascension to the Throne does not imply His needs to be carried. In fact the throne is in need of Allah and the carriers as well.

Finding Peace in Ourselves

Peace is from Allah.

Our Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasalam informed us that peace is from Allah,

Aisha reported: When the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, would invoke peace while sitting in prayer, but he did not sit but long enough to say, “O Allah, You are Peace and from You is peace; blessed are You, O Majestic and Generous.”

People are always seeking for peace. this world is such a stressful world and we are anxious nations. Just look around us and see how many people are under depression. Suicide, going mad, running amok. Sometimes you hear people looking for themselves. Trying to find peace within themselves. And they resort to many ways. Some go for religion, which unfortunately resort to false Gods. While some may resort to methods taking them further away from God altogether.

This world is not an abode of peace; it is indeed a place for testing. Its favours and delights are mixed with displeasure; its relief is mixed with misfortunes and slaves can gain its delights and pleasures only through suffering and hard work.

However believers in this world can obtain favours and delights of a different type. Their hearts are made comfortable by remembering Allah. Those who attained the true slave status have peace even the kings envies them for the pleasure the slaves enjoy. The more Muslims observe Allah’s order, the more they attain peace for themselves.

When we greet each other with peace by saying: “Al-Salām `alaykum”, we are invoking this name of Allah, and in doing so, we are communicating this connotation of Allah’s perfection as well as the idea of peace.

And indeed Allah has made “peace” the salutation of the believers: “Their greeting on the Day they shall meet Him will be “Salâm: Peace (i.e. the angels will say to them: Salâmu ‘Alaikum)!” And He has prepared for them a generous reward (i.e. Paradise). (44) ” [Sūrah al-Ahzāb 33: 44]

He has commanded us to use this salutation: “So when you enter houses, greet yourselves with a salutation from Allah.” [Sūrah al-Nūr: 61] Therefore, a believer invokes peace upon himself and upon others with this salutation.

Indeed, Allah greets his creatures in this world with the salutation of peace.

“Peace be upon Noah in all the worlds.” [Sūrah al-Sāffāt: 79]
“Peace be upon Abraham.” [Sūrah al-Sāffāt: 109]
“Peace be upon Moses and Aaron.” [Sūrah al-Sāffāt: 120]
“Peace be upon Elias.” [Sūrah al-Sāffāt: 130]
“Peace be upon the Messengers.” [Sūrah al-Sāffāt: 181]
“Say: Praise be to Allah, and peace be upon the servants He has chosen.” [Sūrah al-Naml: 59]
“Peace be upon those who follow guidance.” [Sūrah TaHā: 47]

Allah’s salutation upon His servants is His decree that they will be safeguarded in this world and the next. Though they are subject to the trials and tribulations that others experience in the world, Allah bestows upon their hearts contentment and certainty of faith which transforms their difficulties into a boon and a rewarding experience. Theirs are contented hearts, at peace with whatever Allah decrees for them.

Surah Al-Falaq
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Say: “I seek refuge with (Allâh) the Lord of the daybreak, (1) From the evil of what He has created; (2) And from the evil of the darkening (night) as it comes with its darkness; (or the moon as it sets or goes away) (3) And from the evil of those who practise witchcrafts when they blow in the knots, (4) And from the evil of the envier when he envies.” (5)

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Did you notice the word “I seek protection” in this verse? What does that tell you about this surah?

Do you know other surah that starts with similar command? What surah is it?

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Lessons from verse 2From the evil of what He has created.

This means from the evil of all created things. Thabit Al Bunani and al Hassan Al Basri both said, “Hell, Iblis and his progeny are among from which Allah created.”

Since Allah is the one who creates evil, then sure He is the one who can protect us against it! Seek refuge only in Allah against all form of evil.

The Wisdom behind the Creation of Shaytan

The shaytan is the source of evil and sin. He calls people to kufr and disobedience. Ibn Al Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said, “In the creation of Iblees and his cohorts there is wisdom the details of which cannot be encompassed by anyone except Allah.”

Among the reasons he mentioned are

i.The perfection of total enslavement to Allah due to striving against Shaytaan and his followers

–Because there is a force who keeps telling you to do bad, you know you had to put a bigger effort in order to worship Allah. You seek refuge in Allah against this. All of these make the level of enslavement even higher.

–Love, turning to Allah, putting one’s trust in Him, patience and contentment are the most beloved forms of total enslavements to Allah. For juhad is the pinnacle of total enslavement to Him.

ii.Lesson to learn

–Remind ourselves what happen to Iblees who were raised in status among the angels worshipping Allah in the heavens. His sins caused his befallen. His pride and those hwo persist in sin and those who refuse to repent. These becomes an example for us to not to follow suit.

iii.A trial and test for us

–Allah tests us to distinguish which is better of us. To distinguish evil and good.

Al Imran 3: 179. Allâh will not leave the believers In the state In which You are now, until He distinguishes the wicked from the good. nor will Allâh disclose to You the secrets of the Ghaib (unseen), but Allâh chooses of his Messengers whom He pleases. so believe In Allâh and his Messengers. and if You believe and fear Allâh, Then for You there is a great reward.

– Allah tests us also so that we will achieve high level of gratitude. Allah wants us to thank Him properly, in all ways. How great the difference between Adam’s gratitude when he was in Paradise and after he was expelled. After being tested by the enemy. Then Allah chose him and turned him in repentance.

Remember! Allah does not and will never leave us alone to be attacked and disturbed by Shaytan. Allah sends us Messengers and gave us aql to reflect and contemplate our surroundings and evil between good. Allah also sends his ayat for our guidance. On top of that He arms us with his verses to protect us further. May Allah protect us from all evil.

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Lesson from Verse 3

Some scholars discussed about the meaning of Ghasib and Waqab.

Mujahid said, “Ghasiq is the night and ‘when it is waqab’ refers to the setting of the sun.

Ibn Abbas said, “Verily it is the night when it advances with its’ darkness.”

Abu Al Muhazzim reported as, “This means the sun when it sets.”

The gist is Allah says that there is evil in the setting of the sun as it approaches darkness.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Aishah said, “The Messenger of Allah took me by the hand and showed me the moon when it rose and he said, “Seek refuge in Alah from the evil of Ghasiq when it becomes dark.”

Protect ourselves from this evil by adhering to this sunnah insya Allah,

The Book of Drinks (Kitab Al-Ashriba)
Muslim :: Book 23 : Hadith 4998

Jabir reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Do not let your animals and children go out when the sun sets until the first and the darkest part of the night is over, for the Satan is let loose with the sinking of the sun until the darkest part of the night is over.

And of course by seeking refuge in Allah.

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Lessons from Verse 4

This particular verse is asking Allah to protect against the evil of witches. One of the methods of performing their evil, the witches make knots and blow into it evil spells.

Do you know that prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wasalam himself was once witched?

In the Book of Medicine of his Sahih, Al-Bukhari recorded that `A’ishah said, “The Messenger of Allah was bewitched until he thought that he had relations with his wives, but he had not had relations with them.” Sufyan said, “This is the worst form of magic when it reaches this stage.” So the Prophet said,

O `A’ishah! Do you know that Allah has answered me concerning that which I asked Him Two men came to me and one of them sat by my head while the other sat by my feet. The one who was sitting by my head said to the other one, `What is wrong with this man’ The other replied, `He is bewitched.’ The first one said, `Who bewitched him’ The other replied, `Labid bin A`sam. He is a man from the tribe of Banu Zurayq who is an ally of the Jews, and a hypocrite.’ The first one asked, `With what (did he bewitch him)’ The other replied, `With a comb and hair from the comb.’ The first one asked, `Where (is the comb)’. The other answered, `In the dried bark of a male date palm under a rock in a well called Dharwan.’) `A’ishah said, “So he went to the well to remove it (the comb with the hair). Then he said, (This is the well that I saw. It was as if its water had henna soaked in it and its palm trees were like the heads of devils.) So he removed it (of the well). Then I (`A’ishah) said, `Will you not make this public’ He replied, (Allah has cured me and I hate to spread (the news of) wickedness to any of the people.)”

In another Hadith it has been reported that Jibril came to the Prophet and said, “Are you suffering from any ailment, O Muhammad” The Prophet replied,

«نَعَمْ»

(Yes.) So Jibril said, “In the Name of Allah, I recite prayer (Ruqyah) over you, from every illness that harms you, from the evil of every envious person and evil eye. May Allah cure you.”

This also teaches you that you should make ruqyah and make du’a to Allah that we are cured. Then we take any allowable medicine. Have tawakkal to Allah and put effort to be cured.

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Lesson from verse 5

1. Hasad

Hasad means envy. This is a dangerous sickness of the heart. Hasad is hatred and disliking the good condition that someone else has.

It is also the desire to have the blessings removed from the one you envied. Someone has something good, and we feel this burning hatred in our heart that the person should not have the good blessings.

Take an intelligent guess. What was the reason that Shaytan disobeyed Allah when Allah commanded him and the angels to make sujud to Adam?

Indeed Shaytan was jealous of Adam and couldn’t accept the idea that Allah raise the level of Adam.

Jealousy is an evil sickness. It brings one to destruction. Let us look at other examples of jealousy.

– The story of Habil and Qabil

– The story of Prophet Yusuf alaihi salam and his brothers

Do a self check whether you do have this evil disease.

How do you feel when you see a friend has a new ipod?

How do you feel when your friend was recognize by the teacher for a school work when you also worked hard on it?

How do you feel when you friend always win?

Your brother was getting attention from your parents?

If you do feel hatred and jealous, remember that this is a heart’s disease that must be healed. Learn to have a heart that is content with what you have. Being content and thankful and happy with what you have will make you the richest person in this world. Materials are not the thing that makes you happy. But a content heart that is thankful to Allah will make you happy.

Be happy for your friend who has it all. Do not dwell with what you don’t have but focus on what you have.

If you are jealous with the attention your sibling has, remember the story of Prophet Yusuf’s brother and see how much destruction they have made for themselves.

Make du’a to Allah for a heart that is content and thankful.

2. Envy of the Envier

In verse five, Allah told us to seek protection in Allah from the evil of the envier who envies. We have understood that being envious of someone is an evil heart disease. This shows how dangerous this disease is.

Among the dangers of the envier

Destruction and difficulties the envier may cause you like the examples we give earlier.

Evil eye – Al ‘Ayn

The Arabic word El-‘Ayn (the ‘ayn) refers to when a person harms another with his eye. It starts when the person likes a thing, then his evil feelings affect it, by means of his repeated looking at the object of his jealousy.

The Book on Salutations and Greetings (Kitab As-Salam)

Muslim :: Book 26 : Hadith 5426

Abu Huraira reported so many hadith from Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) and he reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The influence of an evil eye is a fact.

Malik :: Book 50 : Hadith 50.1.2

Malik related to me from Ibn Shihab that Abu Umama ibn Sahl ibn Hunayf said, ”Amir ibn Rabia saw Sahl ibn Hunayf doing a ghusl and said, ‘I have not seen the like of what I see today, not even the skin of a maiden who has never been out of doors.’ Sahl fell to the ground. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was approached and it was said, ‘Messenger of Allah, can you do anything about Sahl ibn Hunayf? By Allah, he can not raise his head.’ He said, ‘Do you suspect anyone of it?’ They said, ‘We suspect Amir ibn Rabia.’ “

He continued, “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, summoned Amir and was furious with him and said, ‘Why does one of you kill his brother? Why did you not say, “May Allah bless you?” Do ghusl for it.’ Amir washed his face, hands, elbows, knees, the end of his feet, and inside his lower garment in a vessel. Then he poured it over him, and Sahl went off with the people, and there was nothing wrong with him.”

Evil eye is real. One can cause great harm to the person he is envying just by the look of his eye, by the will of Allah.

We must take all means that we can to protect ourselves against it.

Protection of the evil eye

It has been reported from Abu Said that the Messenger of Allah s.a.w. used to seek protection against the evil eyes of the Jinns and mankind. But when the Muawwidhatayn were revealed, he then used them for protection and abandon all else.

At Tirmidhi, An Nasai and Ibn Majah recorded this. At Tirmidhi said the hadith is Hasan Sahih.

We must read the Muawwidhatayn as many times as we can daily without tire. Among the recommended times to recite it

After all solah.

To read the 3 quls once for all prayers except Fajr and Maghrib

Morning adzkar and evening adzkar

3 quls for both times

Before sleeping and to blow the hand after reciting them and wipe the whole body with it.

Other protection

To read Ayatul Kursi for all the times described above

To say the morning and evening adzkar.

Seek protection in Allah

It is perhaps also worth to take note, that we should, as much as we can, to be cautious of ourselves when we appear in public. It is best that we do not create too much attaention on ourselves.

Remember among the nasihah of Yaakub to his sons when they were traveling to Egypt to seek for food from Prophet Yusuf alaihi salam. Prophet yaakob told his sons to enter the city sparate ways so not to create the attention from people on themselves waking in a group. Allah knows best.

And that is why, it is best that we not show people the things we bought and we owned especially the things that may trigger envy from others. Also we should try to contain to ourselves of our achievements less people will become jealous of us.

When a dead person is buried, two black-blue angels come to him. One of them is called Munkar, and the other is Nakeer.

Tirmidzee. Verified Hasan by Al Albanee.

Job Description :

To question people in the grave.

The questions :

Who is Your Lord?

What is Your religion?

Who is Your Prophet?

Who will be asked?

All of those who are buried in the grave.

That includes you and me.

But I know the answers already. So I have no problem Insya Allah.

Indeed your answers will depend on your eemaan when you live in this world. You may have memorise the answers in this world, but if your heart has no eemaan, you won’t be able to answer the questions.

The believers give the right answers to these questions, will result in restful stay in the grave.

The disbelievers give wrong answers, which result in punishment in the grave.

The Book Pertaining to Paradise, Its Description, Its Bounties and Its Intimates (Kitab Al-Jannat wa Sifat Na’imiha wa Ahliha)Muslim :: Book 40 : Hadith 6865

Al-Bara’ b. ‘Azib reported Allah’s Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying: This verse:” Allah grants steadfastness to those who believe with firm word,” was revealed in connection with the torment of the grave. It would be said to him: Who is your Lord? And he would say: Allah is my Lord and Muhammad is my Apostle (may peace be upon him), and that is (what is implied) by the words of Allah, the Exalted:” Allah keeps steadfast those who believe with firm word in this world and in the Hereafter.”

And he said concerning the kaafir or the evildoer: “Two very harsh angels come to him (and treat him roughly) and make him sit. they say to him, ‘Who is your Lord?’ He says, ‘Oh oh oh I don’t know.’ They say to him, ‘What is your religion?’ He says, ‘Oh oh oh i don’t know.’ They say, ‘What do you say aout the man who was sent among you?’ He cannot remember his name, so they tell him, ‘Muhammad’. he says, ‘Oh oh oh I don’t know. I heard people saying such and such. They say to him, ‘May you never know and may you never say what the people said. then a voice calls out, ‘My slave is lying.’

The Book Pertaining to Paradise, Its Description, Its Bounties and Its Intimates (Kitab Al-Jannat wa Sifat Na’imiha wa Ahliha)

Muslim :: Book 40 : Hadith 6862

Anas b. Malik reported Allah’s Apostle (may peace be upon him) having said: When the servant is placed in his grave and his companions retrace their steps arid he hears the noise of the footsteps, then two angels come to him and make him sit and say to him: What you have to say about this person (the Holy Prophet)? If he is a believer, he would say: I bear testimony to the fact that he is a servant of Allah and His Messenger. Then it would be said to him: Look to your seat in the Hell- Fire, for Allah has substituted (the seat of yours) with a seat in Paradise. Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: He would be shown both the seats.

Qatada said: It was mentioned to us that his grave (the grave of a believer) expands to seventy cubits and is full with verdure until the Day when they would be resurrected.

Funerals (Al-Janaa’iz) Bukhari :: Book 2 :: Volume 23 :: Hadith 461

Narrated ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar :

Allah’s Apostle said, “When anyone of you dies, he is shown his place both in the morning and in the evening. If he is one of the people of Paradise; he is shown his place in it, and if he is from the people of the Hell-Fire; he is shown his place there-in. Then it is said to him, ‘This is your place till Allah resurrect you on the Day of Resurrection.”

Funerals (Al-Janaa’iz)

Bukhari :: Book 2 :: Volume 23 :: Hadith 422

Narrated Anas:

The Prophet said, “When a human being is laid in his grave and his companions return and he even hears their foot steps, two angels come to him and make him sit and ask him: What did you use to say about this man, Muhammad ? He will say: I testify that he is Allah’s slave and His Apostle. Then it will be said to him, ‘Look at your place in the Hell-Fire. Allah has given you a place in Paradise instead of it.’ ” The Prophet added, “The dead person will see both his places. But a non-believer or a hypocrite will say to the angels, ‘I do not know, but I used to say what the people used to say! It will be said to him, ‘Neither did you know nor did you take the guidance (by reciting the Quran).’ Then he will be hit with an iron hammer between his two ears, and he will cry and that cry will be heard by whatever approaches him except human beings and jinns.”

Funerals (Al-Janaa’iz)
Bukhari :: Book 2 :: Volume 23 :: Hadith 460

Narrated Ibn Abbas:

The Prophet once passed by two graves and said, “They (the deceased persons in those graves) are being tortured not for a great thing to avoid.” And then added, “Yes, (they are being punished for a big sin), for one of them used to go about with calumnies while the other never saved himself from being soiled with his urine.” (Ibn Abbas added): Then he took a green leaf of a date-palm) and split it into two pieces and fixed one piece on each grave and said, “May their punishment be abated till these (two pieces) get dry.”

The Book Pertaining to Paradise, Its Description, Its Bounties and Its Intimates (Kitab Al-Jannat wa Sifat Na’imiha wa Ahliha)
Muslim :: Book 40 : Hadith 6860

Anas reported Allah’s Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying: If you were not (to abandon) the burying of the dead (in the grave), I would have certainly supplicated Allah that He should make you listen the torment of the grave.

Funerals (Al-Janaa’iz)

Bukhari :: Book 2 :: Volume 23 :: Hadith 455

Narrated Asma’ bint Abi Bakr :

Allah’s Apostle once stood up delivering a sermon and mentioned the trial which people will face in the grave. When he mentioned that, the Muslims started shouting loudly.

The reports from the Messenger of Allah sallalalhu alaihi wasalam confirm the torment and blessings of the grave, a s a person deserves, and the questioning by the two angels, reach the level of mutawatir.

Thus it is obligatory to accept these facts and believe in them, but to not discuss the details because human mind is not able to comprehend how they hapen, for it is something not in this world. Not in our bare-naked human eye world.

On the authority of Abu ‘Abdullah al-Nu’man bin Bashir, radiyallahu ‘anhu, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, say:
“Truly, what is lawful is evident, and what is unlawful is evident, and in between the two are matters which are doubtful which many people do not know. He who guards against doubtful things keeps his religion and honour blameless, and he who indulges in doubtful things indulges in fact in unlawful things, just as a shepherd who pastures his flock round a preserve will soon pasture them in it. Beware, every king has a preserve, and the things Allah has declared unlawful are His preserves. Beware, in the body there is a flesh; if it is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt, and behold, it is the heart.”

2. But within it there are things that you are not allowed to do. It is called haram

Like you cannot marry your sister An Nisaa 4 :23

You cannot marry the same gender

You cannot eat things that are not allowed like meat that are not slaughtered in the name of Allah. eating pork. 2:173, 5:3, 6:145 and 16:114-115

You cannot drink alcohol.

Our main manual to determine the halal and haram which are clear are from the Quran and also sunnah

However there are things which are doubtful to you that makes you not sure whether this is haram or halal. The scholars divide these doubtful things into three.

1) That affair which a person knows to be Haraam, but which he then doubts as to whether its forbiddance still continues or not.

For example, a person cannot eat from an animal until he is sure that is has been slaughtered Islaamically, and so if he has doubts about this then the forbiddance to eat continues until certainty of the correct slaughtering is achieved. And the origin of this is in the hadeeth of ‘Adiyy.

And in the hadeeth from ‘Adiyy ibn Haatim that he said to the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa salaam:

“O Messenger of Allaah! [Sometimes] I send my hunting dog after game, after pronouncing ‘bismillaah’ upon it, but when I reach the catch I find another dog there too (upon which I had not pronounced the name of Allaah).” So the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam replied: “Do not eat from it (the catch), for verily you pronounced the name of Allaah upon your dog, but not upon the other dog.”

So the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam gave a verdict based upon a doubt, fearing that the dog which killed the game was the other dog upon which the name of Allaah had not been pronounced, hence making the kill slaughtered for other than Allaah. And Allaah has said about this:

“Eat not of that (meat) on which Allaah’s Name has not been pronounced (at the time of the slaughtering), for surely it is Fisq (a sin and disobedience of Allaah).” [al-An’aam 6:121]

So this verdict contains evidence for taking care regarding those actions or events that involve some judgement regarding what is Halaal or Haraam, due to the similarity between the different situations. And this is encompassed in the meaning of the statement of the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam: “Leave that which causes you doubt, for that which does not cause you doubt.” [narrated by an-Nasaa’ee]

2) The opposite of this, where the affair is originally Halaal, and the person has doubts regarding whether it has become Haraam. And whatever is of this type then it is considered permissible until its forbiddence is clearly established.

And the origin of this is the hadeeth of Abdullaah bin Zayd, regarding the doubt in ones wudoo’ if one is sure that previously he had made wudoo’. [i.e. one continues upon the assumption of being with wudoo’ until it becomes clear that the wudoo’ has broken]

3) The third type is where one has doubts about a matter and one does not know whether it is Halaal or Haraam, and the matter could be of either of the two, and there is no clear evidence to establish either ruling. Then in this situation the best course of action is restraint.

For example, once the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam found a date in his house, but did not eat it for he feared that it may have been from that given as sadaqah (as the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam was forbidden from taking of sadaqah).

Thus taking the examples of the above,

1. it is best to refrain from doing the things that we have doubt in it. It is a sign of piety.

2. Ask those who are knowledgable and known to follow the quraan and sunnah. Alhamdulillah to these time we can find fatwa at good sites like Islam Q&A or we can read up up books like fatawa Islamiah.

3. However when we refrain or decide (with knowledge) to proceed or not proceed on an action, be aware of shaytan’s trick and was was. For example someone wants to pray but not sure whether the place or clean or dirty or whether his clothes has najis. And thus decide not to pray at all.

Leaving things because we are doubtful should not mean we leave things that are wajib.

4. If you are uncertain, due to doubtful evidence or confusion, have taqwa. Practice caution and fear Allah. Always ask yourself will Allah be please with us. And it is preferable to avoid the doubtful matters.

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In this hadith, again Prophet Muhammad used metaphors to convey a point. Can you give other examples of metaphors that we have learned before.

We fist talked about the tool that Prophet Muhammad sallahu alaihi wasalam used to teach using metaphor in the third hadith : Islam is built upon five things. We shall repeat about metaphor again to strengthen our knowledge, Insya Allah.

Using metaphors to convey the Message is a very important ‘tool’ and it is the methodology used in the Quran and by the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam. There are many modes of expression used in the Quran and Hadith and they are used for different purposes. E.g. Dealing with the misconceptions and false assumptions of the disbelievers, the Quran and Hadith use rational thinking. When describing Jannah and the Hellfire, the style used by the Quran and Hadith is the visual mode of expression – they are described in such detail that it is like we can actually visualize Jannah or the Hellfire in front of us.

In the third hadith, the metaphor used was comparing Islam to the structures of buildings. And thus the pillars of Islam is like the importance of pillars in a building.

It makes it easier to visualise the concept and Insya Allah brings one to understand.

You can also try using metaphor in the lessons you learnt! 😉

In this hadith 6, Prophet Muhammad salllahu alaihi wasalam used the metaphor of a sheep that a shepherd herds were allowed to graze near a forbidden area. How can a shepherd controls his flock of sheep from grazing the grass at the forbidden area especially the forbidden area is usually more luscious and greener,

Prophet Muhammad sallahu alaihi wasalam is making a comparison to the issues of doubtful matter. Some doubtful matter may be more attractive. However it may make one gets nearer to something that is forbidden.

And thus the crux is to stay away from things that will lead you to haram things as it is better for you. The principle of a danger zone is thus established to protect the Muslim against the whisperings of shaytan and of his own soul.

Prophet Muhammad sallahu alaihi wassalam again made an analogy. if one is careful not to thread onto a private property of an owner or a king, similarly and even more, one must be careful to stay away from the prohibited areas that are lined by the Creator, the Rabbul Alamin.

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At the end of the hadith, prophet Muhammad sallahu alaihi wasalam finish the important issue that one needs to take care. Which is taqwa. Taqwa, the fear of Allah, will take one to do things that are pleasing to Allah, and will refrain one from doing what is not allowed.

Relating to the hadith on doubtful matter, taqwa and iman, Insya Allah, will guide one to what Allah pleases. In another hadith (hadith no 35), Prophet Muhammad sallalhu alaihi wasalam mentioned, “Taqwa is here – pointing to the chest.”

This hadith 6, indicates that behaviour is dependent on the heart. So when the heart is sound, the body will do good deeds, avoid prohibited ones and even avoid the doubtful subject. But when the heart is corrupted and ruled by worldly desires, the body will not resist temptation and will be led to disobedience, easily convinced by numerous excuses.

One way to take care of the heart is to stay away from sins, big or small.

Sins causes heart to darken

Narrated by Abu Hurairah r.a. ,Prophet Muhammad sallalhu alaihi wasalam said, “When the servant performs a sin a black spot appears on his heart, and if he seeks forgiveness this black spot is removed, and if he returns to sin the black spot grows until his heart becomes black, and this is the ‘Raan’ about which Allaah spoke,”

‘Nay! But on their hearts is the covering of sins (raan) which they used to earn.'” Sooraah al-Mutaffifeen (83):14

Reported by an-Nasaa’ee and at-Tirmidhee who said it was hasan saheeh.

Exercise :

1. To list known sins

2. To make black spots on the heart with a stronger black for bigger sins.

Next activity is to brainstorm for Heart are workout.

examples :

Always seeking knowledge concerning Allah and Islam.

Quran in our heart : reading it everyday. Memorizing. Understanding. Applying. May Allah make it easy for us.

Remembrance of Allah: Dzikir. Attending majlees where people talk about Allah.

When there is a need to listen to something, make it something beneficial and that will increase your eeman rather than empty music. Listen to lectures and Quran.

Avoiding sins big or small.

Quickly make repentance for any sins. (This will wipe out the black dots)

Can you think of anything else?

Lessons from this hadith:

Things which are haram are clear and has evidence.

The one who does doubtful thigs may well be doing what is Haram.

There are metaphors used in this hadith. Metaphors are used as tools to help explain a concept better.

The metaphor – just as a shepherd who pastures his flock round a preserve will soon pasture in it – means that doubtful things are closer to unlawful things.